SITE REVIEW: Web Design Portfolio

cyberoptik

Newbie

Posts: 12

Loc: IL.USA

3+ Months Ago

Hi All!

I just recently launched my design portfolio over at http://www.cyberoptik.net. The site has most of my recent web design work along with some other information about myself and the services that I offer.

If you would be kind enough as to let me know what you think, what I should change, etc. that would be great! Thank you ahead of time.

Also, if you ever need a designer... you now have the link to my online portfolio; which also has a quote form .

Thanks.
Ron

ATNO/TW

Super Moderator

Posts: 23458

Loc: Woodbridge VA

3+ Months Ago

I have zero complaints about your site. I mean really none whatsover. Perhaps it's because I love the color green. What I found particularly interesting was your Caesar Augustus quote on your testimonial page. I took three years of Latin back in high school and love the Roman history. That was pretty cool, especially in light of the graphic used.

mefromfl

Newbie

Posts: 5

3+ Months Ago

Your site looks good, it's just I don't get to see much of mouse over activity, some users might not know what to click on.

bleepnik

Professor

Posts: 971

Loc: South Jersey, US

3+ Months Ago

Hey Ron, very nice job. I love the nice, simple, clean aesthetic you've used throughout the site. I have to disagree with mefromfl -- mouseovers are completely unnecessary with the particular menu design you've implemented; it's very obvious where to click for more information or how to get to a particular section of the site.

That said, I hope you don't mind just a few nitpicks, since nitpicks are really the only things left to point out:

- On your contact form, you ask people to use "our quotation form." You should change it to "my" because cyberoptik.net is just one person, and you make that very clear by splashing your name around the site and using the singular to refer to yourself. The one plural form is inappropriate here, imo.

- Remember that those who come to you for help may have no idea what they want in a web site or what is involved in its creation. While there is only so much hand-holding you can do, one little change I'd suggest making is changing "PSD" to "Photoshop layout" or "Photoshop template" or something on your services page. Those who don't know the first thing about web design (or digital design of any sort, for that matter) most likely will not be familiar with Photoshop's file format, and it's more professional to use the application's proper name.

Excellent work. Hope that helps, and good luck with your business/site.

.g

nomax5

Beginner

Posts: 46

3+ Months Ago

Hi mate,

I'm not the nicest reviewer on the forum but you get free frank to the point information from me. And I’m in a good mood today. So here goes

Your portfolio

Quote:

This is a sample page of the site designed by Ron Johnson for 4PhpBB. Click Here to go back to my portfolio.

WTF is all that about?, when I go to see your portfolio I want to visit your former clients and I might just email to see what this Cyberoptik company is like. I DO NOT want to see a picture of the site you did I want to see the site and how it hangs together.

Did you make these sites or make them up?

Your site looks great the logo is very professional and business like so is your name and URL. If you’re a business its “we” not “me” and “us” not “I” you’re not a kid in a bedroom even if you are actually a kid in a bedroom it’s not the impression you want to portray, saying “we” will make you a great website is not tricking or misleading anyone You’re a company it’s “we”.

Also I don’t care where you started or what you’re dogs called or any of that other personal junk. In business its “can you do the job” and “can you do it on time and on budget” so I don’t want to know about Ron Johnson I want to know about Cyberoptik and how all your clients think the sun shines out of your third eye.

Now competitive isn’t the word for the market you’re in: think “vicious rabid dog eat dog - puke dog up eat dog again while still screaming” sort of market.

Do you realise how many people out there knock up a website like yours and wait for someone to say “ooo that’s nice I’ll give him thousands of bucks” ? It doesn’t happen.

That’s the negative now lets get positive:

Okay you are expensive, even though you don’t give any indication of price (big mistake) I know you’re expensive because I can get a Malaysian guy for $2 a day seriously check alibaba.com and those guys can do anything I mean anything.

But that’s okay, believe it or not it doesn’t matter how good you are or how expensive just as long as you are competent and competitive.
Your not selling websites, you may think you are but you’re not. You are selling a service, long gone are the days where you could bang out a site and never see the client again. Today they want changes, enhancements, service and you can charge for them all. They want to get you on the phone online in chat on skype when they say jump you jump then smile and Bill them.

Take a look at Phil Taylor’s website especially his contact page he knows how to do business.
He’s on my skype I was going to remove him but it does no harm then 2 years after buying some software mambo changed to joomla So I get him on skype “just go here Roy download the new version free of charge” That’s service and that’s how quick you have to be. When he’s online there’s a big light on his contact page effectively saying “I’m here what can I do for you?”

http://www.phil-taylor.com

The market is there... I don’t know about where you live but 95% of British companies DO NOT have a website.

You can build your own website on yellow pages in the UK using sitebuilder and prices start from just $1,300 with tax lol. And you can have your own .co.uk url for only $73 . that’s per year!. If there isn’t money to be had there... then I don’t know where there is.

So there you go.

Are you dog food or do you eat dogs for breakfast?

Psycheout

Newbie

Posts: 9

3+ Months Ago

Good portfilio, looks like many others that I have seen, clear, easy to navigate and see what work you have done/can do.

Though there is nothing to really set it apart from others, it is in such a competitive market, but one where there's always plenty of demand nevertheless, perhaps you should offer your services on eBay etc

rsek

Born

Posts: 3

Loc: Belgium

3+ Months Ago

Nice site.

I like the green and white, though try to add some more green into it.

cyberoptik

Newbie

Posts: 12

Loc: IL.USA

3+ Months Ago

Wow, thank you all of you for your great reviews. I've read all of them and will try to implement your suggestions, etc. You've all been a great help.

webia

Graduate

Posts: 147

Loc: Romania

3+ Months Ago

Great website.

I love the design. The only page I do not like is the service page. Try to group in another way your services, because that list bugs off a little and I think the best way to say it is that is very hard to read and look for a specific service out off all that are listed there.

Did you know that geniuses choose green ?

boradesign.net

Newbie

Posts: 9

Loc: Ukraine

3+ Months Ago

Hi,

viewed your with FF1.5

+ good color scheme, green/whote works ok
- try to place an animation (flash, gif) somewhare you need to show important things on your site
- try to add RED color to accent some important thing on site

Thank you.

worthyashes

Novice

Posts: 17

3+ Months Ago

Like the site design, very clean and professional. Agree with two comments above

1 No rollovers - They help so much with pointing your visitors where they are supposed to click

2 The portfolio - If these sites are up and live why not link to them? It sot of looks like they might be made up even if they aren't. If they are then I don't think people would have a problem with you listing them as examples of the sites and styles you could do.

Also get a strange 'kick' to the left when you go from home to the portfolio page.

CheebaHawk

Newbie

Posts: 14

3+ Months Ago

great looking site, very professional and intuitive. I don't know if I like the rotating images on your main header. I like all of the images...but i don't know, it feels a little messy when you get different headers on the same page. Also you might want to add some input validation on your contact page, I accidentally sent a blank contact page...my apologies. Finally, it would be good if you could get a friend or someone random to write a testimonial for you, its never pleasing to have empty pages. Everything looked great overall, good work!

Prime

Professor

Posts: 935

Loc: Liverpool

3+ Months Ago

Hi,

Nice looking site but you need to move away from tables and start using CSS or you'll be in danger if being left behind

Goodluck.

Cheers, Prime ...

bigbrainmedia.com

Newbie

Posts: 5

3+ Months Ago

I liked your sites. Very clean and uncluttered.

thedark

Newbie

Posts: 11

3+ Months Ago

very good style, but i think the home page should have portofoio, when someone get to your page, first thing he will see should be completed websites.

sck4784

Newbie

Posts: 12

3+ Months Ago

You have a beautiful outlooks, great portfolio but I have found that you have little amount of contents.

Anyway site is nice.

matty1

Banned

Posts: 5

3+ Months Ago

looks professional!

multiosbrowser

Beginner

Posts: 62

Loc: Germany

3+ Months Ago

cyberoptik wrote:

If you would be kind enough as to let me know what you think, what I should change, etc. that would be great! Thank you ahead of time.

I test your site with the w3c validator: "This page is not Valid (no Doctype found)!"

After that I load your site without graphics. Your navigation is useable, good. Then I make a print preview, I see the complete site. Better is a CSS "media=print" that only print the content of your site. If I tell Opera to disable the tables, your design is bad. You should use CSS for your design.

Aside from that, nice colors and a nice design. But if you really offer web design, you should make your site standard compliance.